OCA: In Memoriam

Archpriest George Sondergaard

2013-05-09T04:58:45Z

Funeral services for Archpriest George Sondergaard, who fell asleep in the Lord of an apparent heart attack on Bright Wednesday, May 8, 2013, were celebrated at All Saints of North America Church here on May 10-11, 2013. Interment followed at Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Father George was Pastor Emeritus of All Saints of North America Church, having retired August 1, 2010. He had served the parish since its establishment in 1994.He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Ingrid Marie-Luise Sondergaard; five children; and 18 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Anne Marie Couch.

May Father George’s memory be eternal!

Mrs. Anna Luchok

2013-05-02T04:36:55Z

Mrs. Anna [Babich] Luchok, 88, mother-in-law of His Grace, Bishop Matthias, fell asleep in the Lord at her home here on Wednesday, May 1, 2013. She was born October 23, 1924, in Morgantown, a daughter of the late Charles and Anna Babich.

Mrs. Luchok was a 1942 graduate of University High School and was a homemaker and a loving mother of five. She was a lifelong member of Saint Mary’s Church [Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese], Westover, WV, where she served on the Church board. She was a gifted seamstress and a talented baker, who helped make many ethnic delicacies for Christmas and Easter bake sales at the church. She also served as a poll worker for many local, state, and national elections.

In addition to Bishop Matthias, she is survived by four children; seven grandchildren, including Priest Matthew Moriak (Jodi), rector of Saint Gregory of Nyssa Church [OCA], Columbus, OH; four great grandchildren; one sister; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, John Luchok, and a daughter, Matushka Jeannette Luchok Moriak.

Visitation will be held at the Hastings Funeral Home, 153 Spruce Street, Morgantown, on Sunday, May 5, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. and 7:00-9:00 p.m. with services at 7:30 p.m. The Funeral Service will be celebrated at Saint Mary’s Church, 19 West Park Ave., Morgantown, on Bright Monday, May 6, at 10:00 a.m. with Bishop Matthias, Father Matthew, and Father Matthew Stagon officiating. Interment will follow at East Oak Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mrs. Luchok’s memory may be made to Saint Mary’s Church or the Jeannette Luchok Moriak Scholarship Fund, WVU Foundation Inc., PO Box 1650, Morgantown, WV 26507-1650. On-line condolences may be made at www.hastingsfuneralhome.com.

May Anna’s memory be eternal!

Matushka Lois Plumlee

2013-05-01T04:50:35Z

Matushka Lois Plumlee, wife of Archpriest Stephen who in retirement is attached to Saint Mark Church, Bradenton, FL, fell asleep in the Lord on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.

Additional information and service times will be posted as they are received.

May Matushka Lois’ memory be eternal!

Archpriest Paul Merculief

2013-04-13T04:55:14Z

His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin, Locum Tenens of the Diocese of Alaska, will preside at funeral services for Archpriest Paul Merculief, who fell asleep in the Lord at his home here on Friday, April 12, 2013.

The Funeral Service for a Priest will be celebrated at Saint Innocent Cathedral, Anchorage, AK on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. The following morning, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts and Litia will be celebrated at 9:00 a.m. Interment will follow at the Angelus Cemetery.

Born in Alaska in 1939, Father Paul was a graduate of Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, South Canaan, PA. In April 1960 he married the former Elizabeth Svetsov. He was ordained to the diaconate on May 28, 1967 and to the priesthood on August 22, 1971.

For years, Father Paul served numerous communities, including Anchorage, Kodiak, Nikolsky, Tyonek, Atka, Kenai, Ninilchuk, Unalaska, Saint Paul, Saint George, and elsewhere as rector or as an attached clergyman. In addition to parish ministry, he served as Interim Dean of Saint Herman’s Seminary, Kodiak, AK from August 1995 through March 1996. He also served as Diocesan Chancellor from March 2003 through August 2004, as acting Dean of the Anchorage and Kenai Deaneries, and as Diocesan Treasurer. In 1983, he was elevated to the dignity of Archpriest by the Holy Synod of Bishops, from whom he received a Synodal Gramota in 2002. In December 2004, he was granted retirement and attached to Saint Innocent Cathedral.

He is survived by his wife, Matushka Elizabeth, and children.

May Father Paul’s memory be eternal!

Priest Martin LeBrecht

2013-03-22T19:09:29Z

Priest Martin LeBrecht, who in retirement was attached to Saint Seraphim Cathedral here, fell asleep in the Lord on Friday, March 22, 2013.

Born August 22, 1930, Father Martin and his family lived in Munich, Germany and then Rome, Italy until 1940. At that time, the LeBrechts immigrated to the Us and settled in Irvington, NJ. In 1948. they relocated to Texas, where Father Martin began studies in agriculture at Tarleton State College. He found his real love to be music, however, and earned a degree in Music Education from the University of Texas in Austin. After serving his country in the Air Force, he taught in the Houston School District and took further courses at the University of Houston.

Returning to Austin, he attended the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest and was ordained a priest in 1960. As an Episcopalian priest, he served parishes in Texas and Arizona. While in Phoenix, he and his wife Betty were blessed with two children, Mary and Andrew.

Eventually, Father Martin and Betty began to explore the Orthodox Christian Faith. They were received into Orthodoxy by His Grace, Bishop [later Archbishop] Dmitri on Saint Thomas Sunday in 1980.

Father Martin pursued Orthodox theological studies with local clergy and took correspondence courses from Saint Tikhon Seminary, South Canaan, PA. He was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Dmitri in May 1989 and to the priesthood the following April. He was awarded the gold cross in January 2000. He retired in 2004, having served as Priest-in-charge of the Mission of Saint Sava, Plano, Texas.

In retirement, Father Martin continued to serve at Saint Seraphim Cathedral and in parishes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Father Martin is survived by his wife, Matushka Betty; daughter Mary; son Andrew and daughter-in-law Christina; and granddaughters Fiona and Catriona.

Services for Father Martin will be celebrated at Saint Seraphim Cathedral on Monday evening, March 25, at 6:30 p.m. and Tuesday morning, March 26, at 10:00 a.m. More information may be obtained by calling 214-528-3741 or 214-522-4149.

May Father Martin’s memory be eternal!

Archpriest Kiril Antonoff

2013-03-22T11:24:59Z

Archpriest Kiril Antonoff, 95, fell asleep in the Lord on Friday, March 22, 2013.

Born in Istanbul, Turkey, the son of the late Boris and Marika [Sargole] Antonoff, he married the former Malinka Semergian in 1942. After their arrival in the US, Father Kirill served for 18 years as rector of Holy Trinity Church, Madison, IL, and 23 years as rector of Holy Ghost Church, Youngstown, OH. In 1987, the Antonoffs returned to the Saint Louis area where, in retirement, he was attached to Saints Cyril and Methody Church, Granite City, IL.

Father Kiril was a member and past president of the Eastern Orthodox Clergy Association of Greater Youngstown and helped establish the hospital ministry at that city’s Saint Elizabeth Hospital. He also served veterans and their families at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, as a volunteer chaplain for many years.

Father Kiril was predeceased by his wife, Marika, on May 9, 1998. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Maria and Gary Wrangler, Belleville, IL; four grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Rose Maloian, Ismir, Turkey; a niece, Kalyopi [Tony] Tito, also of Ismir; and other extended family and friends.

Visitation will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 25, at Saints Cyril and Methody Church, Granite City, IL, with the Funeral Service for a Priest slated to be celebrated at 7:00 p.m. The Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 26. His Grace, Bishop Alexander of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese, will preside, assisted by clergy of the Diocese and the Greater Saint Louis area. Interment will follow at the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Cemetery, Glen Carbon, IL.

May Father Kiril’s memory be eternal!

Mother Amvrosia

2013-03-06T22:04:20Z

Mother Amvrosia of the Skete of Our Lady of Kazan here fell asleep in the Lord after a three-year battle with cancer on the evening of Wednesday, March 6, 2013.

Born August 29, 1939 in Kazan, Russia and baptized in Moscow in 1976, she became a novice at the Skete in March 2002. His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin tonsured her into the small schema on March 20, 2010, naming her in honor of Saint Ambrose of Optina.

Mother Amvrosia will lie in state until the celebration of the Funeral at the Skete on Monday morning, March 11. Interment will follow at Oakmound Cemetery, in Healdsburg, CA.

Mother Susanna and the Skete sisterhood wish to express deepest thanks for the great blessing of the Church’s holy prayers offered for Mother Amvrosia throughout her battle with cancer, and now for her repose.

Additional information may be obtained by calling the Skete at 707-542-7798.

May Mother Amvrosia’s memory be eternal!

Mother Lyubov [Louthan]

2013-02-23T03:50:04Z

Mother Lyubov [Louthan] of Saints Mary and Martha Monastery here fell asleep in the Lord Friday, February 22, 2013. She had recently been diagnosed with late stage cancer.

The oldest of the five children of the late Thomas and Ruth Farabaugh, she was born in eastern North Carolina’s Duplin County on March 13, 1948. Mother Lyubov spent most of her life serving others. Having earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy from the University of North Carolina, she spent most of her career working as a pharmacist at Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Springs, MD, where her knowledge, great attention to details, and prayerful and loving care of patients and coworkers alike brought help and comfort to many.

Raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, she and her family converted to Orthodox Christianity in 1982. After raising her children, she fulfilled her life-long calling to enter monastic life at Saints Mary and Martha Monastery, where she spent the last five years of her life deepening her faith and dedication to doing God’s will and, in the process, helping many with her down-to-earth prayers and spiritual direction.

Mother Lyubov is survived by two brothers, Tim and Glenn, and two sisters, Tess and Maria; three daughters, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Brittany; and eight grandchildren.

On Sunday, February 24, a Panikhida will be celebrated at Saints Mary and Martha Monastery at 4:30 p.m., after which the Psalter will be chanted until the celebration of the Funeral Service on Monday, February 25, at 11:00 a.m. Interment and a mercy meal will follow.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Mother Lyubov’s memory may be made to Saints Mary and Martha Monastery, 65 Spinner Lane, Wagener, SC 29164.

May Mother Lyubov’s memory be eternal!

Nun Theodora [Meyers]

2013-02-23T00:25:39Z

Nun Theodora, 66, fell asleep in the Lord unexpectedly here on Friday, February 22, 2013.

Born Mary Ellen Meyers, she entered monastic life in 1986 at the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration, Ellwood City, PA, under the spiritual guidance of the late Very Reverend Mother Abbess Benedicta. She came to monastic life after receiving a PhD in French from Columbia University and teaching at The Nightingale-Bramford School, New York, NY.

She was tonsured to the Little Schema, receiving the name of Theodora, on the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God, October 1, 1990, at the hand of Archimandrite Roman [Braga] and under the mantia of Mother Abbess Christophora. At Transfiguration Monastery, she filled the obediences of prosphora baker, librarian and translator of liturgical services. She also cared for the cemetery gardens and embroidered icons, monastic paramons and burial shrouds.

Mother had a particular love for Old Testament Scripture and a special dedication to intercessory prayer. Due to physical and medical limitations, Mother Theodora continued her life of prayer, living independently in upstate New York since 2006.

She is survived by a brother, Roy (Deborah) Meyers, and two nieces.

Funeral services were celebrated at Holy Dormition Monastery, Rives Junction, MI, on February 26. According to her wishes, she was buried in the monastery cemetery, near the grave of Mother Benedicta. Nuns from New Skete Monastery vested her body in the monastic habit before she was transported to Michigan, where the nuns from Holy Dormition and Holy Transfiguration Monasteries chanted her burial service.

A Forty Day Memorial Service will be celebrated at Transfiguration Monastery on Tuesday, April 2 at 1:00 p.m.

May Mother Theodora’s memory be eternal!

Deacon Michael Plefka

2013-02-12T22:43:00Z

Deacon Michael Plefka, who was attached to the Elevation of the Holy Cross Church here, fell asleep in the Lord on Tuesday, February 12, 2013, surrounded by his wife Vicki and his entire family.

Born in Barberton, OH on February 13, 1951, the son of the late Joseph and Anna [Hlivka] Plefka, he and his family were members of Saint Nicholas Church, Mogadore [Akron], OH. He studied at Ohio University and the University of Akron Law School, from which he graduated in 1979.

Deacon Michael was attached to the Elevation of the Holy Cross Church for many years. Previously, he had served Assumption Serbian Orthodox Church, Fair Oaks, CA. He especially found joy sharing the faith with young people in parishes throughout the area and the Orthodox Christian Fellowship on the University of California Davis campus. He leaves behind many spiritual children and countless others who were warmed by his good-natured kindness and obvious love of the Church.

Deacon Michael is survived by his wife, Vicki; daughters Catherine and Elena Plefka; and son Alex Plefka. He is also survived by sisters Mary Anne Plefka-Weir [Rev. William] of Sacramento, CA, and Teresa Plefka-Petroski [James] of Akron, OH; nephews Nicholas and Alex Petroski; and numerous godchildren and other relatives. He was predeceased by his parents and a brother, Joseph.

On Saturday, February 16, a Trisagion will be celebrated at Assumption Serbian Orthodox Church, Fair Oaks, at 7:00 p.m. On Sunday, February 17, a Panikhida will be celebrated at the Elevation of the Holy Cross Church, 9000 Jackson Rd., Sacramento, at 5:00 p.m. The Funeral will be celebrated on Monday, February 18, at 10:00 a.m., followed by interment at the Russian Cemetery, Sacramento. A reception will follow at the church.

May Deacon Michael’s memory be eternal!